PXG 2027 Secret Weapon Mini Driver Review: The Ultimate 3-Wood Replacement?

The mini driver is a trend that I honestly thought may have cooled off by now, but it seems to still very much be on an upward trajectory. As someone who sometimes struggles with my fairway wood, more so from the tee, I was excited to see if there were any performance gains to be had with the newest version of the PXG Secret Weapon Mini Driver.

Built with the same DNA as the popular Lightning lineup, this club promises to give you the distance of a driver but with the reliable control of a fairway wood thanks to more loft and shorter shaft length. If you’re looking at adding a mini driver to your bag, it’s usually due to being slightly erratic off the tee, struggling with the correct launch on a standard driver, or you just want a little more out of a 3-wood. As I mentioned earlier, the latter is where I fit in.

Right out of the box, this club looks premium, and I’m a massive fan of the refined aesthetic of this newer model. The 300cc head sits beautifully behind the ball and really doesn’t look too hard to launch from the fairway. It’s compact enough that I felt as though I could shape my shots, yet it will instill confidence in any golfer who needs it.

The lightweight matte carbon fiber crown is a huge upgrade from the gloss of the previous iteration in my opinion, really elevating the look at address. The added benefit of this lightweight crown was the redistribution of weight, positioning the CG lower in the head, making it extremely easy to launch from the deck - exactly what I was hoping for.

The new Secret Weapon is only offered in a 13° model, which, as someone who wants it primarily to go just a touch further than my 3-wood, is perfect, but I do feel as though an 11° option would be ideal for those wanting to use it mostly from the tee.

On the ruler, the model I tested measured 43.25 inches - the same as my TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood that’s occupied that spot in the bag. Despite the larger head on the end, I felt very much connected and in control, and when I stepped up to the launch monitor, the numbers backed up that feeling.

To gather data on the Secret Weapon, I took it to the Golf Monthly Performance Lab where I tested it using a Foresight Sports QuadMax launch monitor. On a 25-ball average, I saw a carry distance of 271 yards from the fairway.

Now, I was delighted when I saw this number, as it's exactly what I was hoping for with this club. It's just a nudge of 10 yards further than my 3-wood, but not pushing up and closing the gap with my driver, where I average around 295 yards of carry. Sure, I increase the gap between my 5-wood (245 yards carry) and my next club up by carrying the Secret Weapon, but I very rarely have between 245 and 260 into a green.

Knowing your yardages is crucial when making this decision, as you don't want to leave yourself big gaps, particularly if you find yourself playing from that yardage fairly regularly on the course.

For me, I simply gained an option from the tee, though when I may encounter run-outs further down the hole, the driver is just a touch too much club.

The ball was jumping off the club at an impressive 162 mph ball speed and launching at 15.5 degrees. It also reached a towering peak height of 148 feet, although it was easy enough to bring the flight down when needed.

A big reason the ball feels so hot off this club is the new face, which PXG made over 4 percent thinner than the last version. I could genuinely feel a trampoline-like pop and incredible energy transfer, though the feel off the face is definitely on the firmer side compared to the Callaway Quantum Mini Driver.

I was really impressed by the forgiveness of the new Secret Weapon. PXG reworked the inside of the club's sole to support that thinner face and pushed all the saved weight out to the edges. During my testing, when I caught a few out near the toe, the club barely twisted in my hands, and the majority of the shots stayed surprisingly straight and in play.

There are four weight ports on the sole (heel, toe, front, and back) that come loaded with two 7.5-gram and two 2.5-gram weights for those that like to tinker with their equipment. I found this changed my spin rate by 200/300 rpm depending on where I put the heavier weights and could definitely have a big say in creating a desired ball flight. Add in the adjustable hosel, and you really feel like you can customize your exact preferred trajectory.

This club is great for those narrow par-4s where you absolutely have to find the short grass, but if you usually reach for a 3-wood as your go-to club into longer holes, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to launch the Secret Weapon off the deck and the amount of control you feel you have over the ball flight.